Hammer & Nails

My sister-in-law emailed this idea of hammering golf tees into clay. My reply: Why use golf tees when you have the real thing? :)

It just so happened that before I received her email, I had been working on a project. Destructo heard the music in his ears, followed the sound to the patio and prounounced he wanted to "bam some nails, too." So he went to get his nesting hammer (from the Michael Olaf catalog - a Christmas present from grandparents.) Perfect for little hands. Daddy started the nails for him and then let him "bam" away! But, sometimes a man needs a man hammer. However, even though hammering into wood is great fun hammering a nail into a card board box brings greater satisfaction. He is able to set his own nails. He LOVES to hammer into a box. Don't ya just love the intensity in his expression?

Bam on Ice

What to do with two rough boys on a hot day? Bam on ice. The idea came from Let's Explore and Scribbit.

Let your imagination run wild when gathering all sorts of treasures. Look through your junk drawer for odds and ends - like bouncy balls, clothes pins, small plastic toys, coins, and even a few giant dried lima beans - covered them with water and freeze them overnight.

I chose things that didn't really matter if they were destroyed in this project. To my surprise, the boys weren't as rough with the hammers as they could have been. Most everything survived except a butterfly cookie cutter (that had been jammed full of dried play-dough).
Mr. Intensity busted his block of ice much faster than Eli (who is 9 months younger). I'm not sure if this was a developmental thing, because Mr. I's block was thinner, or b.c he is just more proficient with bamming.

In the end, Eli was quite satisfied with himself. Just look at the way he's grasping his hammer.

I knew this was a huge success when, at the end, Mr. Intensity asked, "Can we do it again, Mom?"

Ft. Boonesborough

My parents live within 30 minutes of Ft. Boonesborough. As a child, I LOVED going here - learning about and pretending to live in the pioneer days. A few years ago, I read this excellent biography of Daniel Boone.

Doesn't Mr. Intensity look like he's having fun? Squinting and scowling. He loves the camera. Not.

The guy below is throwing hatchets at a stump. Mr. Intensity was beginning to warm up to this place...they had knives!
Then he got to BAM something! This tool was used to crush corn.

And this is where the black powder (guns & ammo!) was stored. Waaaay cool.

He stood entranced for a loooong time watching the blacksmith BAM the hot metal, making nails.

We also learning about soap and candle making (which were a bit girlie for his likings). They were my favorites as a kid. We'll be back next summer.

Pickin 'n Bammin Oranges

Ever heard the joke that if you keep your car unlocked on Sunday in the South, after church, it will be filled with squash and zucchini? 

It's true.

Almost the same is true of citrus this time of year in Arizona.

Except, we don't leave our car unlocked in Phoenix.  Instead, we invite ourselves to friends' houses who have citrus trees.  

We picked a few the size of softballs but were rather dry inside.  I hated to just toss them in the trash, so I asked Mr. Intensity if he wanted to bam them.

Wanna guess what he said?

[He also likes to bam toothpicks, ice, nails, and  cereal among other things.]
And a big-o-thanks goes out to Aunt Lauren who sent a fun Valentine package!  Lauren, you'll be pleased to know he made some Valentines for me on the Incredibles note pad.  It was sweet.

Speaking of sweet: I made this recipe for chocolate play doh; it smells divine.  The guys had gone to hike Squaw Piestwa Peak so I surprised Mr. Intensity with the fun doh when they returned for him to use the heart mold Aunt Lauren sent.

The texture of the dough wasn't my favorite.  I like the cooked version best.  However, it did resemble real chocolate!

Where's Mr. Intensity?

When we left Florida, we headed north to Kentucky. Both of our parents (and most siblings) live here. This week we're staying with Hubby's parents in Louisville. Next week, we're vacationing on my brother's houseboat. The week after, we'll be at my parents' farm in eastern KY.

So you ask, "Why spend 3 more weeks away from home?" Um, have you seen how HOT it is in Phoenix? Yesterday there was a 30 degree differential between the two cities.

In all seriousness, there is a real reason we're in KY for 3 weeks. Mostly, because Hubby is working from home, as long as he has internet access he can work. It doesn't matter where Mr. Intensity and I play. And secondly, since we don't get a paycheck from FamilyLife, we are working to raise more support. Most of the people who financially support us live in KY, it only makes sense to be here to get more referrals.

Enough of the boring stuff - let me tell you how Mr. Intensity is coping. He LOVES being at the grandparents' house. This morning Magaw took him outside to explore the backyard with shovels. They had to come back in b.c the mosquitoes were eating them alive. They forgot to wear my bugspray.

Next I gave him a huge block of ice to bam. He still loves to do this. We done it so many times this summer. Today we added a twist. After the block was busted, we brought out some table salt and watched the ice melt faster. Of course he had to taste it! I was totally grossed out watching him eat handfuls of salt.

Then he noticed the dirt between the cracks of the deck. Magaw gave him a plastic knife and he LOVED working to get it out.

A few days ago Magaw bought Mr. Intensity SIX rolls of tape. (Grandmothers sure love to spoil!) He has enjoyed every inch. He actually taped me into the chair.

Which reminds me of a story from last week...when we were eating breakfast in the hotel one morning, Mr. Intensity brought his roll of tape. A little girl, about 7 years old, kept watching Mr. Intensity do his magic with the tape. At one point he'd taken me captive and taped me to the chair. She came over and said to him, "You're going to waste all that tape." He ignored her.

Silly girl, of course he would use all the tape.

A few minutes later she came to me and said, "He's going to waste all that tape." Yes, darlin', he will use every bit of the tape and it's the best 75 cents I'll spend all day.

Bammin' Toothpicks

The last time I presented this activity (of inserting toothpicks into a small hole) he did it in 3 seconds flat and refused to do it more.

When we were baking yesterday, he found the toothpicks and made his own game: toothpick bamming.

He would balance the toothpick just enough in the hole to hold itself then bam it into the container. Loads of fun.

Downtown & USS Razorback

Today didn't happen the way I thought it would.

It was much better.

Yesterday I used my last egg.  I wanted to make a quick run to the Farmers Market this morning but didn't think Mr. Intensity would go for it.  Quickly running through a list of
bribes
reasons he would want to go, I remembered that he has wanted to visit the downtown library.

A phone call from a friend, as I backed out of the driveway, told me there were no eggs in North Little Rock.  So I decided to frequent (for the first time in 4 years!) the River Market in Little Rock.  I didn't find eggs, but got a lead for eggs - a few miles out of town, mind you - near the Remington plant.

Just as I'd used all my time in the market, Mr. Intensity spotted this bridge.  Built in 1884, it was converted in 2008 to a pedestrian bridge which now links Little Rock and North Little Rock.

I was curious too so I let him lead the way.  At the top of the bridge, I wasn't so sure.  Driving across a bridge is one thing.  WALKING is another.  I think I could feel it sway. Nonetheless it wasn't long before our eyes beheld this glorious site:

I was committed.  No turning back now.

The long black thing is a WWII submarine, the USS Razorback.  To its left is the Arkansas Queen.  [For the non-Arkansans reading, the Razorback is the mascot for the University of Arkansas.  The boat was not named for a hog but a whale.]

Of secondary note is the yellow trolley across the way.  It is on the "top five list" of things to do next.

On the north shore another glorious site to behold!!  A torpedo!  "Think if I bam it with my fist it will ka-splode?" (He was not in a picture taking mood.)

If you look closely in the below picture, you'll notice two flags flying from the conning tower of the submarine.  The United States sold the submarine to Turkey in 1970 and in 2004 the city of North Little Rock bought it back.
At some point before 2004 the propellers were removed.  I was in awe they were so large at almost three tons each.
To give a bit of perspective:
The submarine was closed today (winter hours are Friday-Sunday) but Mr. Intensity still wanted to practice climbing through the water tight door.
Posted nearby was a sign that said to tour the USS Razorback you have to be able to

 - climb a 14 foot ladder

 - not be claustrophobic

 - go through water tight door (38 inches high by 20 inches wide)

 - be at least 5 years old.

Yay! For the last requirement is fulfilled.  I'm not sure how well I handle claustrophobia.

Next door to the USS Razorback was the Arkansas Queen Riverboat.  There wasn't a lunch cruise sailing today so we were welcomed inside to take a peek.  I was floored when he asked me to take his picture.
By this time we were ready for a cold drink so we walked back across the bridge and ate lunch in the River Market.

We finally found our way to the library soon after.

Then we drove to pick up the farm fresh eggs.  Which very well could be a story all to itself.  I love being in the country, talking to farmers.  This particular man just had all his teeth pulled for dentures (ouch!) and could talk the legs off an octopus.  He owned about 100 chickens and had at least an acre of okra.  (What does one do with so much okra?!)  He gave us some yummy figs from his tree as a parting gift.  I hope to visit again soon.

To get in touch with my agrarian roots I came home and mowed the grass.

It was a really fun day.

Advent Ideas

There are millions of ways to celebrate Advent.

Tonight I worked on putting together this punchable homemade Advent calendar.  With a boy who loves to "bam" - what's not to love about punching? Here's the quick reference pdf.

We're also using this for family devotions.  The patterns to cut/color are here.

What is your family doing to anticipate Christmas?

Bamming

Since Mr. Intensity likes to "bam" we practiced nailing this morning...with fruit loops.

Then we tried bamming other things - like nuts, dried beans, pasta, jelly beans, cookies and bread. This was definitely more fun than just plain nails.

Classic Boy Toys, ages 2-4+

When thinking about Christmas toys, here are some ideas for boys that don't require batteries and foster lots of creative play.

Probably the favorite boy toy in our house is DIRT or sand.  A friend of ours is storing borrowing our sand and water table while we stage our house for sale. 

Mr. Intensity got this Tonka truck and loader for his second birthday.  Both trucks have been well loved and even fought over at the park.  If you only want to get one of the two, get the truck.

You can't go wrong with a shovel, either.  We own about 5 shovels/hoes in different shapes and sizes.  They are good. Clean. Fun.  They help boys burn energy by using big muscles.  Some moms at the park get a bit nervous when we arrive with our arsenal but I'm quick to enforce the rule:  shovels stay on the ground.  When looking at shovel options, go for metal. Yes, plastic is safer but have you tried to dig with a plastic shovel?  The boys fight ask for the metal shovels while the plastic one is the last man out.  Our shovels came from Target, Big Lots, and in the garden center of another store.  Go for quality.  Two of our shovels from Target are literally bent out of shape, which sometimes hinders the workers.  Mr. Intensity's next shovel will be man-sized with a few inches sawed off the handle.  Ohh- maybe for Christmas?!

For a baby shower gift, someone gave me a set of wooden blocks.  One year for Christmas (when Hubby was in seminary) Mr. Intensity got a set of Hebrew blocks.

It's fun to build towers and knock them down with bean bags or wrecking balls.  Speaking of bean bags, I like to make them for birthday gifts (boys or girls) and add this list of games to the package.

I suppose it depends on the bent of your boy, but at our house TRAINS are oh-so-fun.  He got this starter set from Ikea on his 2nd birthday.  For Christmas last year the tunnel set was added. His 4th birthday the grandparents added more tracks.  [The Thomas the Tank Engine tracks will fit the Ikea tracks.  The Ikea train tracks cost less and are about the same quality.]

This summer, Mr. Intensity had so much fun with masking tape a friend even sent 10 rolls. We didn't waste a bit.

If you've read this blog for long, you know that my guy likes to bam things.  A nested hammer has been good fun for us but he also likes to use Daddy's.  It's heavier and can do more damage.

Other gifts (from grandparents) that we've both enjoyed are memberships to the zoo, Children's Museum, and a preschool class at the Desert Botanical Garden.

Well, those are my suggestions.  What have I missed?  I'd love to hear your "gotta have BOY toys."  UPDATE:  Wrote another post.

To see what other savvy mommas have to say about the best of the best for boy AND girl toys, click over to Rocks in My Dryer.

S Week

S week began with a review of our shapes. Below you'll see cookie cutters (esp. the square and shamrock, b.c they start with s). He traced inside them like he would the metal insets if he were at a real Montessori school. Teaching Montessori in the Home inspired me to try to make some. Being ambitious, I tried making them from foam board (I could have used 2 colors of card stock) and this template. The foam board and craft knife were a frustrating nightmare. I quit after 2 shapes and the pieces are still in my closet. Thus, the cookie cutters below. BTW, I'm not the only mom frustrated by making these with foam board. Stephanie opted for the card stock; they turned out great and her daughter loved them, too.We also reviewed our ocean cards b.c a starfish lives in the salty water. I cut a star from sandpaper and we rubbed over it with a crayon. I say "we rubbed" b.c he didn't really like the idea. Not enough bamming for him.Our neighbor gave us this sand art contraption from Crayola. It is loads of outside fun. Kids pull off stickers then pour on their preferred color of sand. Two weeks ago he finished the outerspace picture and started the horse. Today he finished the fish.

Lest you think that it was a perfect day - even though I had things planned, this is what really happened:

Once he was started on tracing the shapes, I left him alone to concentrate. Back at my post of loading the dishwaher, I looked up b.c I heard, "BAM! Pow! Yeah!"

He was throwing the pencils at the paper; cheering wildly when the pencil pierced the paper.

That's when I joined him with the starfish basket. I tried to coerce him to color over the sandpaper. He scoffed. I went back to laundry.

Minutes later I came outside to hang wet things on the line Here's what he was doing:

Can you tell what he's doing above? Throwing rocks into the paper. They made a louder sound and also BIGGER holes.

Why do I plan things?

On his own accord, he made a cup of soapy water and found his paint brushes. I tried to get him to make a s on the patio tile. He tried...once. Then decided to write his name. He wrote it backwards...well, sort of. He wrote JOHN but from right to left instead of left to right.

We compromised by letting me write his name in chalk then he got to destroy my creation (oops, did I just write that?) and paint over my chalk. At least he was practicing.

This (below) was the favorite morning activity. I knew it would be, because he got to play in the sink. First I explained the terminology of float vs sink. He's quite familiar with the words b.c he's bee taking swimming lessons. We sounded out the words together and I showed him how the word "float" was on top of the water (on the post-it note)...etc. Then I put the "float" post it on the left of the sink, and the "sink" on the right. I asked him to guess if things would float or sink before putting them in the water - but every single time he said, "I don't know." However, he was able to place the object in the proper location after the experiment.After lunch we did two more trays. First we talked about seasons -which is a difficult concept to grasp when you live in the desert! We read 4 books from the library (one on each season) and used a free download from Montessori for Everyone - that I saved to my hardrive a while back. I can't find it on her site anymore but there are plenty of other free downloads for seasons here.

Finally, this is a project I've been working on for a while. I've laminated different pictures from old magazines on 3x5 cards and plan to use them for multiple learning opportunities. On the back of each card I've written the name in block letters. He was able to identify all the cards except otter and eagle. When I flipped over the card, we worked on sounded out the word. We also had a short lesson on the difference between snowmen and snowman.

And, he sorted the pictures in 3 piles: animals, food, and other. Then we pulled out the pictures of things that began with s.

It's been a relatively good day. There are a few more tricks up my sleeve this week.

Yard Art, Church, Twist on Favorite

Yard Art
This was Mr. Intensity's afternoon activity yesterday. He had a wooden mallet to bam the Montessori rods in the ground, along with a few wooden stakes and a sword from the Czech Republic.  Not sure we've used the Montessori rods correctly in a while.  :)  He also smashed several acorns with the mallet.  Love this kind of independent play.

Church
Secondly, our church service yesterday was very meaningful. The focus was on the Persecuted Church as well as orphans. One way to help the little man stay engaged was to write out a few words and let him copy.  Edith Schaeffer did a masterful job with her children in church services - she drew pictures that correlated with the sermon topic.  More details in her book, The Hidden Art of Homemaking.

Twist on a Favorite
While Hubby was in Rwanda a friend invited me and Mr. Intensity for dinner.


She made chicken salad and added shredded cheese. She put a dill pickle slice on top of the salad in a bun with then wrapped the whole thing with foil and baked in the oven till heated through.


OH MY.


It was super yummy.


We had it for dinner last night - Hubby loved it, too.


For lunch today, I heated my sandwich in the toaster oven - open faced, without foil - and it was just fine.  My sister reminded me that Martha doesn't let foil touch her food due to safety concerns.  She puts parchment paper on first then the foil. I'm crazy scared about Alzheimer's so I try not to use aluminum when I can avoid it.


[Another yummy I made over the weekend: Garam Masala Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk.]


Pregnancy Update
Today begins 14 weeks and I heard the heartbeat in the doctor's office.  I'm hopeful the nausea is coming to an end, as I feel better today than I have in a long while.